This is attention to detail is why I'm following this thread, even if I ride green bikes. Thank you for giving back!

Todd

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcma111

If you can't get the cam gear to align by moving the gear one tooth one way or the other this is the tell tale sign that your cam chain has stretched.

This is something I try to remember to do when I tear down a bike. Put the engine at TDC so the tension is off of the cam lobes and then once the rocker cover has been removed to check the cam gear timing marks. If the marks line up the chain goes back in. If off, mis-aligned then it's new cam chain time.

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Every sailor knows, that the sea, is a friend made enemy. And every shipwrecked soul, knows what it is, to live without intimacy.

Steve, would you mind doing a transmission assembly vid or pics? I took mine apart, and just not sure that I have the sleeves and spacers in the right place. Though I layed them out, I walked away for a time, and i'm simply not entirely convinced I returned to them in the right spots.....

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Boondoggle

Watching Dakar is like watching people who've built their own world, and for just a couple of weeks they get to live in it.

Steve, would you mind doing a transmission assembly vid or pics? I took mine apart, and just not sure that I have the sleeves and spacers in the right place. Though I layed them out, I walked away for a time, and i'm simply not entirely convinced I returned to them in the right spots.....

Boy oh boy it sucks to be you. I'll do something when I get home. Couple of hours.

By any chance do you have a XR600 factory service manual? I have one from when I bought my 91 XR600. Compared to the XRL OE manual the factory XR600 manual has REAL pictures inside. Not those crappy line drawings of the XRL manual.

Man, that was quite the BEAutiful rebuild! I'm impressed with your attention to detail and your all the tricks up your sleeve. Would you mind me bending your ear a little? I have an XR600R '98 that has a broken bolt in the cylinder head. It was leaking oil around the rocker arm cover on the left side (sittin' on the bike). I ended up pulling the whole motor to get a better angle on trying to remove the broken bolt, but after it laughed at my Grabit bolt removers, I realized there must be an easy out broken off inside the broken bolt. The Grabits don't even make a mark in it. So, I thought what the heck. Since I ain't gettin' it out myself, might as well just buy an XR650L lectric start motor and stuff it in the XR600 frame. I'm kinda tired of kickin' it anyway. I was online looking for a used engine when I came across your post. And, after seeing the cam journal repair job on the engine you rebuilt, I wondered if my local machine shop guy would be able to extract that bolt somehow and make a new bolt hole? The engine seems to be in pretty good shape as far as I can see under the rocker arm/cam cover, and it was running pretty good as it was. So, I could either fix this cylinder head if it is possible and perhaps do a big bore job on it like it looks like you did on your XR600R. Or, I could drop in an electric start 650L motor, if the engine mount bolt pattern is the same as the 600. What would you do? Thanks for any advice and again, great job on the rebuild!

The choice is yours. A good machinist should be able to get that broken bolt out and fix the hole in a snap. Or the XRL transplant will work as long as you get all of the associated electrical bits. Full harness, CDI, battery and so on. The XRL engine does have different transmission gearing than the XR so keep that in mind if you plan on any single track or such.

Thanks for the quick reply. I have an excellent machine shop nearby. I'll take the motor to them and have 'em remove the bolt/fix the hole. I'm debating on just rebuilding this engine with a big bore kit vs. replacing it with a 650R starter version. Any suggestions on the rebuild?

Thanks for the quick reply. I have an excellent machine shop nearby. I'll take the motor to them and have 'em remove the bolt/fix the hole. I'm debating on just rebuilding this engine with a big bore kit vs. replacing it with a 650R starter version. Any suggestions on the rebuild?

Thanks again!

650*L* perhaps?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Boondoggle

Watching Dakar is like watching people who've built their own world, and for just a couple of weeks they get to live in it.

Thanks for the quick reply. I have an excellent machine shop nearby. I'll take the motor to them and have 'em remove the bolt/fix the hole. I'm debating on just rebuilding this engine with a big bore kit vs. replacing it with a 650R starter version. Any suggestions on the rebuild?

Thanks again!

Go with a +1 or +2 mm higher compression piston, CW (Cycle Wizard) 628 copy cam and treated rockers, jet accordingly, grind the header welds or go with an over size stainless steel header (XR's Only) and pull the reducer off of the OE mufler. Even more bling would be to port 'n polish the head along with a valve job.

Go with a +1 or +2 mm higher compression piston, CW (Cycle Wizard) 628 copy cam and treated rockers, jet accordingly, grind the header welds or go with an over size stainless steel header (XR's Only) and pull the reducer off of the OE mufler. Even more bling would be to port 'n polish the head along with a valve job.

hey steve

do you know if the cw cam needs the oe rockers and just heat treat them or do you have to buy complete new set

Go with a +1 or +2 mm higher compression piston, CW (Cycle Wizard) 628 copy cam and treated rockers, jet accordingly, grind the header welds or go with an over size stainless steel header (XR's Only) and pull the reducer off of the OE mufler. Even more bling would be to port 'n polish the head along with a valve job.

How much higher can you go over stock and still have the bike run decent on the blended 87 octane stuff commonly available? I like the idea of going big bore and adding a little compression but when you're traveling, you can't count getting good quality, high octane fuel so I'd sacrifice the power increase for reliability.

do you know if the cw cam needs the oe rockers and just heat treat them or do you have to buy complete new set

i want that cam! jajaja

later

I talked with CW and he said either NEW OE rockers or having them re-done. What he does is weld the same material as the cam lobe so that both the cam and rockers are of the same material. Mega Cycle does the same thing as does Web cam. They will not warranty the cam unless the rockers are done.The risk of using worn rockers is that if there is the smallest defect it may lead to failure. Changing the cam will result in a different wear pattern on the rocker arm face.

How much higher can you go over stock and still have the bike run decent on the blended 87 octane stuff commonly available? I like the idea of going big bore and adding a little compression but when you're traveling, you can't count getting good quality, high octane fuel so I'd sacrifice the power increase for reliability.

Not sure how your fuel will react with a higher compression ratio. You can always go with a + size piston at the stock or slightly higher CR. It shouldn't be a problem. My bike has a Wiseco 102.4, 10.5 CR piston and I run regular for just running around town but if I head out somewhere I switch to premium. It will ping if I get on it with regular gas but that's not a problem commuting the 6 miles to work with a max speed limit of 35 mph.